Hilary Kamin
Hilary Kamin is the Managing Director of Leadership and Engagement at the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston. After graduating from the University of Texas, Hilary, a native Houstonian, moved home to give back to the community that has given her so much.
She began her career at the Jewish Federation directing the PJ Library program and has since led the effort to endow the program for future generations. She stepped into a leadership role managing the Engagement team that has relaunched the Minnette and Jerome Robinson Family Young Adult Division and pioneered the Honeymoon Israel program for the Houston Jewish community.
Before joining the Federation team six years ago, Hilary was the Director of Education at Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism and started her career as a teacher at The Shlenker School.
Hilary is an active member and past chair of the ERJCC Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book and Arts Festival, faculty member and vice chair of URJ Greene Family Camp, and loves to play mahjong. Hilary enjoys spending her free time cheering on the Texas Longhorns with her husband, Brent, and two sons, Brandon and Dylan, and baking fresh challah each week in creative ways.
Debbie Karakowsky
Debbie Karakowsky serves several roles at the Jewish Federation. She currently sits on the Board, the Planning Committee, and the Chair’s Cabinet. She is the first and current chair of the Federation’s Impact Fund, where she enjoys reaching the community’s unique needs directly. She is also a member of the new Teen Engagement Committee. Debbie participated in the Hineni Houston Listening project and served many years on the Fund for the Jewish Future, as well as a past chair of the Federation’s Disaster Relief Fund.
Debbie is also passionate about serving Camp Young Judaea-Texas where she has served as a Board member, Executive Committee member, long-time participant in scholarship funding, and member of several search committees and task forces.
With her husband, Arturo, Debbie has four children, and she has dedicated time to The Shlenker School, The Emery/Weiner School, and Goldberg Montessori School in various roles including fundraising ambassador, search committee member, and head of several PTO programs.
Debbie has also served on the boards of Congregation Brith Shalom and the Houston Jewish Community Foundation.
Mike Drob
Mike Drob is a Ukrainian-born Jew who has made Houston home with his wife, Jen, their three kids and two dogs. He has benefited greatly from the Jewish community throughout his life and strives to do the same for others, serving on the Jewish Federation’s Local Impact Fund Allocations Committee, JFNA’s National Young Leadership Cabinet executive board, and as co-chair of the Houston chapter of Cabinet. He has also previously been on the Fund for Jewish Future committee, YAD Board, a Federation Campaign ambassador, part of the Hineni Houston Listening project, and on the Board (and several other committees) for Congregation Brith Shalom.
Mike and Jen met at a Baltimore Moishe House event, and he is grateful to her for the unending encouragement and support of his involvement in the Jewish community. When not volunteering, Mike is a software engineer at Apple, but considers this the least interesting thing about himself. He enjoys biking along the bayou trails, participating in Cub Scouts with his kids (Pack 806, Brotherhood of Beth Israel), and playing with the newest smart home gadgets that he definitely doesn’t need.
Helen Richard, Congregation Beth Shalom of The Woodlands
Helen Richard’s love of Judaism and people make her central to the warmth of Congregation Beth Shalom of The Woodlands (CBSW). Her strong interpersonal skills and close work with people from children to leadership have greatly enhanced her community-building impact. Wherever there is an educational, programming, or social activity, Helen will have played a key role in its creation and development. And you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone in the congregation that Helen doesn’t know – or who can say no to an ask from Helen!
Helen was born and raised in Israel and came to the United States in 1988, where she has served Jewish communities in Los Angeles, New Jersey, and Las Vegas. In 2002, Helen and her sons, Travis and Troy, moved to Texas and she has been a treasured staff member of the CBSW family ever since.
Gila Barnett, Torah Day School
Gila Barnett grew up in Houston and her parents still live in Houston. She got her elementary school education at Torah Day School (TDS), along with her five siblings. Gila attended a teaching seminary in Tzfat, Israel for two years.
Gila has taught third grade at Torah Day School for more than 20 years. As an alumni of Torah Day School, a TDS parent, and a TDS teacher, Gila truly feel that TDS is her home. She says it is a wonderful place to work, embodies Torah values, and enriches students with a high level of education. The administration and staff are caring and devoted above and beyond to each student’s success.
Gila is inspired by her students and adds that teaching brings meaning to her life. Her passion is to impart the fascinating Torah stories which encompass values and lessons that the students can take to heart. She focuses on the character traits of the forefathers and mothers as they are role models in their actions and words. Hands-on activities and middos programs are of great value to shape and build the students characters. Building a strong foundation of understanding and reading the Hebrew language in the Chumash provides a rich and deep meaning to her students. Learning and singing songs related to Torah learning is a great way of internalizing and remembering the lessons and concepts. By the end of the year the students have a whole library of Torah songs memorized!
She likes immersing her students into the meaning of the Jewish holidays through food tasting, cooking, and volunteering to create a memorable experience. She tries to care and connect with her students’ emotional needs and provide a warm atmosphere to support them.
Gila and her husband, Shmuli Barnett, have seven children. AlI of them graduated from TDS.
Chery Sigel, Congregation Shaar Hashalom
Cheryl Sigel has had the pleasure of teaching religious school for many years and is a retired public high school mathematics and science teacher with 29 years of experience. Cheryl tries to impart a love of Judaism and a desire to live a Jewish life to her students. Judaism is a way of life as well as a religion. The Torah teaches how to treat other people, for example giving Tzedakah, caring for the sick, the needy, the orphan, not cheating your customers or employees, how to treat animals, etc. A teacher is a role model for her students, thus she has always tried to demonstrate the proper moral values and treat all her students with respect and concern for their emotional as well as their academic needs.
Cheryl has taught holidays, Torah, prayers, Israel, Jewish history and Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons. She taught in Watertown, NY for nine years, in Victoria, TX for seven years, tutored Bar and Bat Mitzvah students in Killeen, TX for four years, substituted one year there, and she taught seven years at Congregation Shaar Hashalom. She has also taught some of her adult friends from Victoria, Crane, and Wichita Falls, TX to read Hebrew. Cheryl is currently in her 4th year as President of Congregation Shaar Hashalom and prior to that, she served as Ritual Vice President for three years.
Cheryl is married to Jay B. Sigel, MD and they have two children. Their son, Arthur, lives in Houston with his wife, Annie, and three children, Avi, Liba, and Adam. The twins recently celebrated their B’nai Mitzvah at Brith Shalom. Their daughter is an aerospace engineer who designed stuff that went to Mars! She and her husband have two children.
